Tapioca M&O Z triumphs in the CSI3* Grand Prix of Hagen

Last weekend, international show jumping was once again in full swing, including action at the wonderful Horses & Dreams show in Hagen, Germany. On the Hof Kasselmann grounds, the riders competed at both three- and two-star level, with several Z-horses once again making it into the limelight.

The absolute star of the show was German rider Janne Friederike Meyer-Zimmermann and the 9-year-old chestnut mare Tapioca M&O Z, a daughter of Tangelo van de Zuuthoeve and Catoki from the breeding farm of Aurelien Lejeune. Meyer-Zimmermann and Tapioca M&O Z already came on strong a month ago when they secured^2nd place at the CSI3* Grand Prix of Oliva and that good form was clearly confirmed last weekend in Hagen. Having already started their competition on Friday with a ^6th place in the 1.45m Longines Ranking Test, the pair crowned themselves winners of the CSI3* Grand Prix on Sunday afternoon. In a jump-off for which seven out of fifty combinations managed to qualify, they rushed to the finish in 44.73 seconds, this time taking the top prize.

During that 1.45m Longines Ranking class on Friday, Belgian rider Thibeau Spits also managed to deliver a strong performance with the 8-year-old mare Cloverly DH Z, a daughter of Comme Il Faut and Codex who was born and raised at the home of the Spits-Ceulemans family. In a class against the clock, Spits and Cloverly DH Z neatly kept all the bars in the scoops and this performance earned them ^4th place in the ranking. Brazilian rider Luciana Diniz with the 14-year-old grey stallion Milton Z (Mylord Carthago x Sandro Boy - B: Freek Hoogenboom) and Colombian Ruben Arroyave with the 13-year-old mare Valeska Z (Van Gogh x Balou du Rouet - B: Nadine Resche) then followed in ^7th and ^9th place respectively.

Also in Hagen, there were two top 10 placings for Spits' compatriot Nick Vrins and the 9-year-old chestnut mare Fortische Van 't Zaveleinde Z, a daughter of For Pleasure and Rubens du Ri d'Asse bred by Marc Colman. Vrins and Fortische Van 't Zaveleinde Z were good for ^10th place during this Longines Ranking Test on Friday, followed a day later by ^9th place in the 1.50m class.

In addition to the three-star competition, Hagen also saw two-star showjumping and two Z-horses made themselves heard in this class as well. The 1.40m class on Friday, for example, saw Colombian rider Santiago Diaz Ortega and the 8-year-old grey stallion Karajan JT Z reach the podium, with the letters JT referring to breeder Johan Thijs of Horsestud Thijs BVBA. Diaz Ortega and Karajan JT Z, a son of Kannan and Clinton, kept nicely clear in both the^1st and^2nd phases, with a nice ^3rd place as the final result.

Another notable name within the classes of the CSI2* competition was that of the also 8-year-old mare Lily-Rose JT de la Limite Z, a daughter of Luigi d'Eclipse and Lancaster V bred by Justine Thiry. Lily-Rose JT de la Limite Z has been a combination with German rider Mick Haunhorst for several months and together they managed to secure ^5th place in both the 1.40m class on Friday and the CSI2* Grand Prix on Saturday last weekend.